The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-10-28
Theatre ranics,
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.

chi ~ cincinnati IstIutTtT.
1t seems impossible when you look
around at gallant men and amiable
women, sitting placidly ataplay, that
! n a moment, on the u%tterance OF one
word, they can be turned into dumb,
driven cattle, senseless, suicidalidiots.
But it is SO. Any night the auditor
ium of a fashionable theatre may
echo to some unfortunate note OF
alarm. In an instant the gray-haired
banker, whose dignity gave tone to
his whole section, is walking up the
backs OF women and over the heads
OF children.
AT the Park theatre one night 1.-THE
theatre that happily was destroyed
by fire about three hours before the
time when it would have been packed
by New York's best peo-
pie to witness Miss Langtry's
debut), some dude, entering up
the unsafe and tortuous stairway,
threw his cigarette through the iron
grating OF the steps. Some accumula-
ted rubbish began to shoulder, and q
volume ofsmoke poured into the audi.
forum. About half the audience sit
ting there knew that the stage had an
enormous square opening direct upon
Twenty-second street-a door not ten
feet from the level ofthe street. Every
soul in the house could have gone
over the foot lights, crossed the stage,
and been in Tweaty-second street in
three minutes time. They had all en-
tered the theatre by the crooked, mar
row passage; they all knew it's misera-
BILE limits; they saw the smoke coming
IN at that narrow passage, and yet
when some scared scamp neal the
door jumped to his feet and screeched,
Fire. they all with one accord start
ed to the rear, regardless OF life or
limb. Luckily that night q stalwart
policeman, with thelungs ola Stentor.
calmly said: ''There amt no fire: it's
been put out" Hegrabbed the tirstlot
mad people and bodily put EN- down
into seats; but for n few minutes there
was the liveliest kind OF scrimmage.
A welI-known and dignified citizen had
sat in high. bred ease two seats ahead
Of me during the performance. AS the
panic struck him he rose. mounted
over the back Of his seat and started
to walk on the shoulders of some
fashionably.attired ladies. 1t seemed
an occasion for remonstrance, and l
had n slight but severe remark to
make and made it with an opera glass;
the old gentleman took the kindly
hint and concluded to wall. OIL his legs
IN the aisle, but he bad made a fair
start to tramp to safety over his fell
low creatures.
AT another time in the Cosmopoli-
tan ball at Foriy-second street the
place was crowded for Primrose &
T~hatcher's first night of minstrelsy.
There was a low gallery round
the building, supported upon a series
oil ron posts. During the evening one
OF these posts slipped off 1.-THE block
and crashed through into a billiard
saloon in the basement; the gallery
in that particular spot sageed,
creaked and some beam split with
alarming noise. In a moment all was
excitement in the crowded gallery. |
was sitting a few feet in front OF the
spot, and being fearful the people
might begin to jump down on my de-
voted head | pushed my escort, q
veryimportant and self-suficient gem
tleman, aid suggested we get into two
broad aisles beside him where, ifpeo.
pie Jumped they would not jump on
us. ! got no response, and ! might AS
well have pushed at the side OF the
house, he was SO immovable. With
"level fronting eyelids' he confronted
nothing and looked steadily. He
clasped n hard derby hat against his
stomach and was near p%etrifaction as
is consistent with life.
After the alarm subsidized and the
performance was resumed, it was dis.
covered that my scared friend had
crushed his hat on his body as flat as
a mustard plaster, and pressed the
the nails OF one hand so venomously
into the other that the blood had
started through the cut skin.